Catamenial tampon



Dec. 13, 1966 H. A. WHITEHEAD CATAMENIAL TAMPON Original Filed Nov. 24,1964 United States Patent 3,29Ll3fi Patented Dec. 13, i866 3,291,130CATAMENIAL TAMPON Howard A. Whitehead, Appleton, Win, assignor toKimberly-Clark Corporation, Neenah, Wis, 21 corporation of DelawareUriginal application Nov. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 416,951. Divided and thisapplication Mar. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 444,497

2 Claims. (Cl. 128-285) This application is a division of copendingapplication Serial No. 416,951 filed November 24, 1964, which is aoontinuation-in-part of application Serial No. 219,395, filed August 27,1962, now abandoned.

This invention relates to an improved catamenial tampon, and morespecifically to a compressed tampon of improved construction.

A primary object of the invention is to provide improvements in tamponsof the tubular applicator type.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be come apparent topersons skilled in the art upon examination of the drawings anddescription.

In the drawings, in which like parts are identified by the samereference numeral,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a strip of fluid-absorbent base stockprior to being out into tampon pledgets.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pledget of keystone configuration ascut from the blank of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3. illustrates one manner in which tampon withdrawal strings arefastened to the individual pledgets of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates in front elevation a funnel suitable for compressingthe lbatt of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view in side elevation of the funnel of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the funnel of FIGS. 4 and 5 taken at 66,FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 illustrates in perspective a tampon fabricated by the methodherein taught.

The concept of employing certain types of sponge materials as theabsorbent element in catamenial tampons is suggested in the prior art.For example, Crockford patents Nos. 2,254,272 and 2,458,685 are eachdirected to the employment in tampons of cellulosic sponge of the typeproduced from a viscose base. However, both Crockford patents, as wellas all prior art teachings known to applicant which teach cutting a battfrom sponge-like material, contemplate a material which has beencompletely dried prior to cutting. Thereafter the dry pledget iscompressed into a cylindrical or other desired configuration.

During the more than twenty years which have elapsed since the issuanceof the Crockford Patent 2,254,272, such sponge materials have failed, sofar as is known, to come into use, at least on a comme-rical productionbasis, either in this country or abroad. During that same period tamponsconsisting either entirely of natural fibers such as cotton fibers or ofblends of natural fibers and synthetic fibers, have enjoyed a wide andsubstantially increasing acceptance in the US. and in certain foreigncountries. The failure of sponge type materials seriously to competewith fibrous materials is believed based on the somewhat higher cost ofsponge materials coupled with the fact that heretofore no markedadvantages were evidence to justify the resulting price differential.The invention taught here in permit the fabrication of sponge tampons ofgreatly improved anatomical desi n and absorbent capacity, and which maybe sold within or only slightly beyond the price range of fibrous batttampons.

The concept of preforming a tampon batt from slabs or sheets of drycellulose sponge is disclosed in Cr-ockford Patent 2,458,685. Forexample, a plurality of batts of keystone configuration may be cut fromsheet stock, a withdrawal string applied medially thereto by sewing orthe like, and the batt thereafter rolled into somewhat helicalconfiguration and inserted into a cylindrical die or directly into atubular applicator. The tampon is adapted for insertion into the vaginalcanal with the larger end thereof innermost, the cylindrical tampon bodybeing suitably compressed to remain form-sustaining until contacted byfluids with a resultant gradual unwinding of the helical batt. WhileCrockford states that he positions the larger end of the batt adjacentthe uterus where it is mos needed, it has since been learned that akeystone configuration best conforms to the vaginal cavity whichconvergently narrows downwardly from a position adjacent the uterus. Itis further known that the collapsed tube forming the cavity is of agenerally dumbbell configuration in transverse section.

While in theory an unrestricted helically wound batt might unwind, whenfluid saturated, back into its initial planar shape, it has beenestablished, as the result of extended research (including X-rayphotographs) that pressures exerted by the vaginal tissue folds on ahelically wound sponge tampon, as taught by Crockford, are of amagnitude to prevent unwinding of the pledget back into planarconfiguration. In other words, investigations have shown that thevaginal tract normally is restricted in expansion in the vertical planeboth structurally and physiologically by the bladder and the rectum. Atthe same time, the-re is virtually no structural or physiologicalrestriction to expansion in the lateral plane. It has been found that acompressed tampon which re-expands primarily in the lateral directionduring use provides a better anatomical fit and offers more absorbentprotection. A tampon produced by the method herein taught has theseimproved characteristics.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of Crockf-ord, the relatively thin dry sheetsponge is formed into a comparatively wide pledget to permit helicalwind-up as shown in FIG. 8. Crock-fords major pledget base 5 is ofgreater dimension than his pledget axis along which thread 7 is sewn at6.

In marked constrast to the Crockford teaching, applicants pledget, asshown in FIGS. 2 and 3, is of a length substantially greater than thewidth of the major base thereof. Assuming the same amount of spongematerial employed to produce each type tampon, Crockford starts with aninitially thin pledget whereas applicant starts with a much thickerpledget which is also susbtantially narrower than the Crockf-ord pledgeteven though the two pledgets may contain the same amount of material.The length may actually be the same (say, for example, two inches) butin that instance Crockfords major base dimension may be greater than twoinches, and perhaps two and one-half inches; whereas applicants majorbase dimension is less than two inches and, for example, one andone-half inches.

As shown in FIG. 1, an elongate strip 10 of wet spongelike material suchas viscose sponge is cut along dotted lines 12 to form a keystone-shapedpledget 14. Pledget 14 preferably is cut from a relatively thick stripof wet sponge, for example from a strip two inches wide and fromone-half to one inch in thickness, and preferably at least about A inchthick. The resulting pledgets of two-inch length may, for example, havea major base 16 approximately one and 0ne-half inches wide and a minorbase 18 approximately two-thirds of an inch wide. Pledget 14 is nextprovided with a withdrawal string 20, FIG. 3, which preferably is sewnthereto along either a single line or the pair of spaced lines 22, 24 asshown. String 26 may consist of one or more twisted threads with theresulting string extending beyond minor base 18 a desired amount ashereinafter described. While parallel lines of Stitching are shown, theyneed not be parallel, and may converge from the major to the minor basein V configuration, the purpose being to obtain a pledget of a definitedumbbell shape in transverse section to conform to the known cont-our ofthe vaginal canal. If more than one line of stitching is employed, theindividual threads are twisted to form a unitary withdrawal string 20.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate the manner in which the pledget of FIG. 3 iscompressed into cylindrical configuration by being drawn through aflattened funnel 26. The mouth of funnel 26 is of generally rectangularcross-sectional configuration and leads into a cylindrical terminalportion 28. A tubular connector 30 is employed to effect abutmentbetween cylindrical funnel portion 28 and a tubular applicator 32 intowhich pledget 14 is ultimately deposited. The interior diameter ofapplicator 32 is substantially equal to or slightly greater than theinterior diameter of cylindrical portion 28 of funnel 26.

Withdrawal string 20, FIG. 3, is of sufiieient length to permitextension thereof through both funnel 26 and the attached applicator 32,FIGS. 4 and 5, and beyond the lower end of applicator 32 sufficiently topermit manual grasping thereof with minor base 18 positioned immediatelyabove the mouth of funnel 26. Withdrawal string 20 may, if desired, befed through both funnel 26 and applicator 32 by application of suctionto the lower end of the applicator. String 20 is of suflicient strengthto permit employment in pulling pledget 14 through funnel 26 to effectshaping thereof into cylindrical form and transfer to applicator 32.

As previously mentioned, pledget 14 is cut from a strip of wetsponge-like material such as viscose sponge. The term wet as employedherein means that the sponge has not been fully dried after its initialformation. Pledget 14 remains wet throughout withdrawal stringattachment and the compression thereof resulting from the pledget 14being shaped as it is pulled by withdrawal string 20 through funnel 26.As best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the narrow funnel 26 has a minordimension equal to the diameter of cylindrical portion 28. Applicatortube 32 is approximately equal to the thickness of pledget 14. Thus, aspledget 14 is drawn through funnel 26, compressive forces are appliedprimarily across the major plane of the pledget. The flattenedconfiguration of the mouth and neck of funnel 26 prevents relativerotational movement of pledget 14 therein, the pledget being dimensionedto be snugly received therein, hence as the pledget is string drawnthrough the funnel, it is subjected primarily to compression forcesresulting in width rather than thickness reduction. The resultingcompressed tampon is thus asymmetrical with respect to the direction andthe degree of compression. Since more material is present in the planecorresponding to the transverse axis of the uncompressed tampon,reexpansion forces are primarily lateral. Also, since the originaltampon pledget is keystone-shaped, the forward portion of the compressedtampon, a inserted, is much denser and capable of greater expansion thanis the anterior portion. Thus, the structure of the finished tampon issuch that in the dry state the cells are more highly compacted in theforepart thereof and become gradually less compacted toward theanterior. The compaction in the finished tampon is also substantiallytransverse or diametric, as opposed to the radial or circumferentialcompaction found in ordinary tampons, and, as a result, the tampon, inuse, is adapted to expand to its original planar keystone shape toprovide a better anatomical fit and an attendant improvement inabsorptive protection.

Also, since the fibers in wet cellulosic sponge are maintained thereinboth somewhat swollen and plasticized, they are in a condition to absorbthe stresses of compression without being broken or otherwise damaged aswhen in a dry state.

While pledget 14 is preferably formed of viscose type sponge, theinvention is not so limited and contemplates other suitable materialswhich may include certain materials in the foam category as well asthose normally referred to as sponge. Regardless of whether the materialof pledget 14 is of the foam or the sponge type, compression intocylindrical configuration while wet followed by drying results insuperior fluid-induced reexpansion during use to its original keystoneconfiguration. The improved results thus obtained are believed due, atleast in part, to the plasticizing effect of moisture when presentduring the compression stage. Such plasticizing can be readilydemonstrated by applying severe mechanical impact to fibers in whichswelling has been prevented by cross-linking. The treated fibers rapidlyreduce to powder while the control fiber, soft and plasticized byswelling with water, suffers little damage under the same conditions.Thus by compressing wet, rather than dry, pledget material, the waterpresent both swells and plasticizes the fiber-like material to render itcapable of absorbing substantial mechanical stress without sustainingthe substantial damage which results from the compression of the samematerial while in a dry state.

A like phenomena may be demonstrated by comparing the wet and drytensile strengths of a twisted cotton yarn. Wet cotton yarn exhibits ahigher strength, attributed to its more swollen and plasticizedcondition, enabling it to better equalize stress concentrations to whichthe yarn might be subsequently subjected. In the same manner a wetsponge material such as cellulosic sponge is capable of distributinglocal stresses without failure of either fiber or regenerated cellulosicmembrane. Thus, a pledget of viscose type cellulosic sponge or the likecompressed into cylindrical configuration in accordance with the aboveteaching may re-expand, when fluid saturated, fully back into itsinitially uncompressed configuration. However, the same pledget, ifcompressed while dry, can at best only partially re-expand towards itsinitial configuration.

Since pledget 14 is compressed in the wet state, the inventioncontemplates employment of an applicator of plastic or the like which isnot affected by moisture.

After compression, the applicator-enclosed tampon may be dried bydielectric heating or the like during which the tampon contractssomewhat to its final self-sustaining form, permitting easy ejection bya suitable plunger while retaining enough resistance to prevent rotationwithin the applicator.

What is claimed is:

1. In a compressed cata-menial tampon comprising a self-sustainingcylinder of compressed absorbent spongelike material having a withdrawalstring extending from the anterior thereof, the improvement in structurewherein the material in the forward portion of said tampon is highlycompacted becoming gradually less compaceted toward the anteriorportion, wherein the sponge-like structure of the material is inundamaged condition in said compacted form, and wherein the majordirection of the compactive force is transverse and substantiallydiametric whereby said tampon is adapted to re-expand in usesubstantially only in a single diametric direction.

2. The tampon of claim l wherein said tampon is comprised of a viscosebase cellulosic sponge material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,458,685 1/1949Crockford 128-263 2,710,007 6/1955 Greiner et al 128285 2,884,925 5/1959Meynier 128-285 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primaly Examiner. C. F. ROSENBAUM,Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A COMPRESSED CATAMENIAL TAMPON COMPRISING A SELF-SUSTAININGCYLINDER OF COMPRESSED ABSORBENT SPONGELIKE MATERIAL HAVING A WITHDRAWALSTRING EXTENDING FROM THE ANTERIOR THEREOF, THE IMPROVEMENT IN STRUCTUREWHEREIN THE MATERIAL IN THE FORWARD PORTION OF SAID TAMPON IS HIGHLYCOMPACTED BECOMING GRADUALLY LESS COMPACETED TOWARD THE ANTERIORPORTION, WHEREIN THE SPONGE-LIKE STRUCTURE OF THE MATERIAL IS INUNDAMAGED CONDITION IN SAID COMPACTED FORM, AND WHEREIN THE MAJORDIRECTION OF THE COMPACTIVE FORCE IS TRANSVERSE AND SUBSTANTIALLYDIAMETRIC WHEREBY SAID TAMPON IS ADAPTED TO RE-EXPAND IN USESUBSTANTIALLY ONLY IN A SINGLE DIAMETRIC DIRECTION.